Process for treating water in oil emulsions



Aug T7 1926 wwsw M. DE GROOTE PROCESS FOR TREATING WATER IN OIL EMULSIONS Filed Dec. 25, 1924 v INVENTOR MELVIN H 6mm ATTORNEY nnnvm nn encore, or en. LOUIS, mrssonnr,

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ASSIGNOR T0 WM. S. BARNICKEL &

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Application met December 23, 1924. Serial no. 757,735.

This invention relates -to the treatment of emulsions of mineral oil and water, such as petroleum emulsions, for the'purpose of separating the oil from the'water.

Petroleum emulsions of the kind referred to are commonly known as cut oil, roily oil and bottom settlings, and consist of the continuous phase of the oil constituting emulsion, droplets of water distributed throughout the body of oil and constituting the dispersed phase, and films of matter that cncase the droplets of Water.

The conventional process for breaking such emulsions contemplates adding toor mixing with the emulsion a treating agent that will act on the emulsion in such a manner that the water of the emulsion will separate from the oil when the emulsion is allowedto remain in a quiescent state, at a suitable temperature, after treatment. It is my belief that suchemulsions can be broken more effectively-and with lesser amoimts of treating agent if the emulsifying films in which the droplets of water are encased have fissures, gates or openings through which the treating agent can act and through which the droplets of water can escape and thus produce coalescence.

Accordingly, I have devised a process for breaking water in oil emulsions which is characterized by subjecting the emulsion to such action as to produce fissures 'in the emulsifying films which surround the droplets of water, or to increase the size of existing fissures, whereby the treating agent that is mixed with the emulsion or which is thereafter added to the emulsion, may act on the emulsion more effectively than would be possible if said films were continous or free from fissures. 7

Any of the "various demulsifying agents now used in the treatment of petroleum emulsions can be used in my process and various means can be used for creating fissures in the emulsifying films or increasing the size of existing, fissures. I prefer, however, to produce such fissures or enlarge existing fissures in the emulsifying films, by passing the emulsion through a substantially quiescent bed formed by a mass of small, non-absorbent solid particles that are sep arated from each other by spaces or voids approaching capillary dimensions, so as to cause the 011 of the emulsion to spread out over the surface of said particles upon coming in. contact with same, and thus exert a tension force on the dro lets of water which tends either to create ssures in the films encasing said droplets, or to enlarge any fissures that may exist in said films. Sand is a material that is well adapted for this purpose, on account of the fact that it is capable of being wetted by the oil of such emulsions, the particles of same are'solid and r non-absorbent, it is inexpensive and easy to obtain in nearly any locality and when combined with a means to produce a substantially quiescent bed, the particles of same are separated by spaces or voids approaching capillary proportions. Various other maberials composed of small particles that are. non-absorbent and capable of being wetted: by the oil of a petroleum emulsion can be used to produce or create fissures in the emulsifying films, and therefore, I do not wish it to be understood that my process is limited to the use of sand. For the purpose of clarity the term non-absorbent is herein used in the following sense: If a non-absorbent substance is subjected to the liquids, oil and water, for a period of time and subsequently wiped dry, it is still origina1 material by weight. There is no oil or water on its inner surfaces. If an absorbent material is subjected to'thesame procedure and wiped dry, it will contain some oil or water on lts inner surfaces, and therefore, is no longer100% original material by weight.

The figure of the drawings is a sectional view of an apparatus that can beused in practicingmy process. v I

Said apparatus, in its simplest form, consists of a layer or bed A of sand or other suitable material composed of small, nonabsorbent particlesvcapable of being wetted by the oil of the emulsion, a chamber B in- "side of which said bedfor layer is held in a quiescent state, an inlet pipe C leading to the upper end of said chamber through which the emulsion to be treated is introduced into said chamber at a point above the bed A of non-absorbent particles, and an outlet pipe D leading fiom the lower end of said chamber through which the emulsion es capes after percolating through the bed A... Any suitable demulsifying agent or heat ing agent is added to or mixed with the emulsion before it is passed through the bed A, and in the apparatus herein illustrated I have shown a device E on the suppiy cenref tit)

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duit O that holds a treating agent which enters the conduit C and mixes with the emulsion flowing through same before said emulsion reaches the treating chamber In passing through the bed A the oil of the emulsion spreads "out'over the surfaces of the non-absorbent particles constituting said bed, thereby exerting a tension force on the droplets of water in the emulsion which ten s either to create fissures in the 'films surrounding said droplets, or to enlarge any fissures that may exist in saidfilms' Accordingly, the eificiency of the treating agent 'will be greatly increased, because the films which encase the droplets of water have openings through which the treating agent can act and through which the droplets of water can escape and produce coalescence when the treated emulsion thereafter enters the settling'tank F. Gravity,

pressure or suction can be used to feed the emulsion through. the bed A, and if desired, the flow of the emulsion through said bed can be reversed at intervals so as to remove from the voids or interstices of the bed any articles of foreign matter that may have ecome lodged in same.

I am .aware of the fact that it has hereto- .3 fore been proposed to pass a water in oil emulsion that contains a, treating agent through a mass of excelsior or similar material to cause the treating agent to be disproduce fissures in thevemulsifying films or emulsion upwardly through a trough contributed funiformly throughout the emulsion, but material like excelsior will not enlarge existing fissures, as is contemplated by my invention. I am also aware of the fact that it has been proposed to 'force an eeaeae 'taining a ltoose bed of sand forv the purpose my invention because the emulsion in passing through said bed does not pass through voids approaching capillary proportions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I a

1. A process for breaking water in oil emulsions, characterized by mixing a demulsif'ying agent with an emulsion, and'bringing the emulsion into engagement with a quiescent mass'of small-sized, non-absorbent particles, separated by spaces or voids approaching capillary proportions and capable ofbeing wetted by the oil of the emulsion.

2. A. process for breaking water in oil emulsions, characterized by adding a suit able demulsifying agent to such an emulsion, then bringing the- .emulsion into engagement with a quiescent mass of small-sized,- non-absorbent particles separated from each other by voids, approaching capillary proportions and capable of being wetted by the oil of the emulsion, and thereafter introducing. said emulsion into a settling tank so as tocause the oil and water to separate.

3. A process for breaking water in oil emulsions, characterized by adding a suitable demulsifying agent to such an emulsion and passing said emulsion through a bed of sand'held in a quiescent state and composed of small sized particles separated by voids approaching capillary pro ortions.

- MELVIN DE GR OTE. 

